


I Just Want To Watch You Sleep

by CaptainParisStarr



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), First Time, M/M, Merlin is absolutely not being creepy I promise, caught staring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26944423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainParisStarr/pseuds/CaptainParisStarr
Summary: Merlin just wants to watch Arthur sleep, but when he wakes the young King up, Arthur has other plans.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 149





	I Just Want To Watch You Sleep

Merlin stood as still as he could, the night air cool against his skin, the only light the silver glow of the moon shining through the window.

He should not be here, standing beside Arthur’s bed in the middle of the night, and yet he was unwilling to leave. All he wanted was to stand there and watch Arthur sleep.

Ever since Arthur had ascended the throne and become King of Camelot, he had felt as though he was losing his friend. Arthur had grown distant, his desire to be a fair and just King forcing him to shoulder every burden alone. No matter how often Merlin reminded him that they were friends, and that he could talk to him about anything, Arthur grew more secretive by the day, and the distance between them kept growing.

None of that was why he was standing in the dark, in a room he should not be in at that hour, beside the bed of the most powerful man in Camelot. He was there for the simple reason that he wanted to watch the man he loved sleep.

Without warning, Arthur turned over in his sleep, rolling towards Merlin, causing the young Warlock to jump and trip over his own feet, stumbling forward, and falling onto the bed with a heavy thump.

Biting his lip, he somehow managed to stay quiet, not even daring to breathe as he held still, waiting to see if he had woken Arthur.

A hand slid up, cupping his ass, and he shrieked into the dark, startled like he had never been startled before.

“Merlin?” The hand was gone. “Get off of me. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Arthur sounded suspicious, and rightly so, considering how much Merlin snuck around to steal his keys, and food, and anything else he needed for the not-quite-legal escapade of the day.

“Sorry.” Merlin scooted off of the bed as quickly as he could.

“You didn’t answer the question. What lame excuse do you have for me this time?” Arthur sounded annoyed more than anything, though it was too dark for Merlin to see his expression.

“I just… wanted to watch you sleep…” He muttered, half hoping that Arthur wouldn’t be able to hear him.

“Oh, and that’s not creepy.” Arthur snorted.

“I should go…” He was turning to make a run for the door when a hand grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, Merlin!” He froze, wondering what Arthur was thinking up to punish him this time. “Why did you want to watch me sleep? And are you aware that you scream like a girl?”

“I do not! When have I ever screamed like a girl?” Merlin looked back at Arthur, hoping that he sounded like his usual, vaguely idiotic self.

“Just now when I… wait, exactly what was I touching? It felt soft.” Arthur sat up, the blankets pooling around his waist, and leaving his upper body bare.

“My butt. You were touching my butt.” Merlin was grateful that the dark hid his blush.

“Oh, well, that explains it.” Arthur looked away, then back at Merlin. “Why were you watching me sleep? This had better not be some dumb attempt to win my favor by protecting me, when you can’t even protect yourself.”

Merlin said nothing; he wanted to defend himself, but no words would come. They froze in his throat, a three word confession forming on his lips and tongue that his throat refused to utter.

“Wait, Merlin, are you attracted to me? Is that what this is about?” The derisive taunting of his previous statement leaked away, leaving Arthur sounding uncertain, and very young.

“What makes you think that?” Merlin couldn’t meet his eyes.

“You went silent. You’re  _ never _ silent, Merlin, which makes me think that maybe…” Arthur trailed off. “Are you?”

“If I was attracted to you, would that be bad?” Merlin tried to dodge the question.

“Only if someone else found out.” Arthur reached over, and pulled Merlin back onto the bed. “So, are you?”

“Okay fine, yes I’m attracted to you.”

“Sexually?”

“Sexually. I know it's wrong because we are both ma-” Merlin was cut off by hot hips pressing against his own, and an even hotter tongue pushing into his own. “Mmph!”

“What was that?” Arthur pulled back, his tone light and teasing.

“Nothing, you just surprised me.” Merlin leaned in, his hands braced against Arthur’s chest, but not quite daring to initiate a kiss on his own. Arthur took the hint and leaned down, kissing Merlin deeply and thoroughly.

As one, they lay down, rolling over until Merlin was lying underneath Arthur, but the King’s weight was gentle as he broke the kiss to nibble Merlin’s neck instead.

“Oh!” Merlin tensed as literal sparks flew from him; pieces of his magic running wild. “Arthur? Maybe we should stop!”

“Hmm…?”

“I’m serious!”

“Merlin! I’ve waited too long to get you like this, so it had better be good!” He bit Merlin’s pulse, and a starburst of sparks exploded. “Oh.” Arthur noticed.

Merlin went perfectly still, waiting for Arthur to demand an explanation. “Oh I see. You don’t have much experience, do you? Is that why you’re losing control of your magic a little?”

“No, I’ve never…” Merlin tried to sit up, but of course Arthur was still pinning him down. “Wait you know about…!” His eyes went wide.

“Yes, of course I do. I just thought it was something we didn’t talk about, but Merlin? You aren’t subtle. Half the castle knows you can use magic.”

“Then why..?” Merlin was growing more and more confused by the second.

“Because I’ve never seen you hurt anyone; with or without using magic. And I have seen you use magic to save my life. That’s why I’ve kept your secret. I just don’t understand why you called upon that old man to heal my father rather than doing it yourself.” 

Merlin almost laughed; Arthur knew so much yet missed the obvious that Merlin was the old man, but bit his lip at the last second. “I didn’t think you knew, and calling upon another was easier. That way, it wasn’t my neck being risked if…” He couldn’t finish. “Besides, you’d never forgive me.”

“No, I might not have.” Arthur caressed Merlin’s cheek, then pressed another soft kiss against his lips. “But, that is in the past. For tonight, just relax.”

“Yes, Arthur.” Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s shoulders, as Arthur’s hands slid south. “Oh…”

“Is this okay?” Arthur’s fingers danced along Merlin’s shaft.

“Yes; more than okay.” Merlin sighed as his pants were pulled down enough that his cock sprang free, then something else touched his cock; something larger and harder than Arthur’s fingers.

“Ah!”

“You like that?”

Merlin could only nod as Arthur began to gently thrust against him, and soon Merlin’s hips were moving in time with Arthur’s, as sparks of all different colors and sizes filled the room.

Kiss after messy, sloppy kiss was shared as the pace grew erratic, both men beginning to feel the need to cum build in their stomachs, and Merlin reached down, stroking them both with his hand as the need built to an almost desperate crescendo.

“Merlin…”

“I’m close.”

Arthur nodded, and twisted his hips somehow, sending his shaft skidding hard along Merlin’s, and pushing him over the edge at last.

Merlin’s back arched up off the bed, and a firework of sparks exploded harmlessly above them as he came, and an answering wash of heat spilled across his stomach.

He went limp, panting and spread eagled on Arthur's bed, as he felt the other man stand up. “Don’t go!”

“Relax, I’m just grabbing something to clean us up.” Moments later, a damp cloth ran over his stomach, cleaning him of cum.

“Can I stay for a while longer?” Merlin tucked himself away again, and fixed his pants.

Arthur slid silently back into the bed, pulling Merlin against him. “You should leave before dawn.”

“I know.” Merlin was too sleepy to care at that moment, however, and as he drifted off to sleep in Arthur’s arms, a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Please visit my profile for more information on how to support me as a writer.


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